Anıtkabir and Ankara

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Here are a few pictures from Ankara. The Kocatepe Camii is certainly impressive, though it is not breathtaking the way İstanbul's massive mosques are. It's a big new mosque in a big new city.
Anıtkabir, is a much more powerful place to visit. Anyone who has traveled to Turkey will no doubt remember seeing images of Atatürk everywhere, all day, everyday. An article in today's NY Times mentions Anıtkabir and concisely sums up Mustafa Kemal's legacy:
"In these confusing times, Ataturk is apple pie, Washington and Jefferson all in one. A brilliant military strategist, he led the Turkish uprising against occupying European powers at the end of World War I, driving them from the land they had seized from the dying Ottoman Empire. He was also a statesman, imposing a radical secular revolution on a poor, devout country. He changed the language, dress and even the cultural habits of his compatriots, severing ties with the Muslim world. "
(TAVERNISE, SABRINA. 16 January 2008. "In Complex Times, Turkey Seeks a Reassuring Face." NY Times. .)
Ankara's bitter cold temperatures have prevented me from doing as much walking around as I would like to do, but there will be plenty of time for this later on. Görüşürüz!

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Additional photos below

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Photos

Kocatepe Camii
The Kocatepe Camii is a stunning, massive, impressive mosque, smack dab in a busy part of the city. It is also brand new and is oddly perched on top of a shopping mall.

Wall at Anıtkabir
The museum at Anıtkabir, which houses a number of Atatürk's cars and other items, is tucked into walls like this one. The walls surround the grand square which leads up to the massive mausoleum.

Me at Anıtkabir
The angle of this picture either makes me look like a giant or makes the monument look much smaller than it actually is...

Wintry view of Ankara
This picture was taken from the top of Ankara's ancient Citadel.